AUSTRALIA
Australian Jewish News
YESHIVAH leaders have sparked fury by vehemently defending a rabbi who came under fire in an email exchange but not victims of child sexual abuse.
On Friday, a member of the Yeshivah community, Moshe Elkman, was highly critical of Yeshivah’s Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner in a message sent to more than 50 people regarding a planned meeting concerning proposed changes to the Yeshivah Centre management structure. Claiming the rabbi had failed to inform him when the meeting would be, Elkman expressed his disappointment in harsh terms and threatened to go to the media if Rabbi Groner wasn’t forthcoming.
Within hours Yeshivah’s director of adult education Rabbi Yonason Johnson said he was in “shock and dismay” because the “slander of Rabbi Groner is unacceptable both halachically and morally”.
He went on to say that “this would be true if said about anyone, let alone a Rov (Rabbi) and the Rebbe’s Head Shaliach in Melbourne”.
Rabbi Johnson urged everyone on the email chain to “maintain civility and respect at all times”.
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